I have this experience too but usually just right after I wake up (30 min to 1 hour afterwards). I just have a couple graham crackers before a shorter session (~1 hour) and will have toast/poptarts/waffles for a longer session on the weekend. On days when I'm really not feeling it cookies will do for a shorter workout. I used to do bananas for years but now the texture is horrific and unappetizing to me.

Honestly you're not eating for taste and its kind of like race day morning when all food is unappetizing - find something light and easy and just choke it down.

How long are your sessions generally? If you're awake 2 hours before you train then I would also say you need more of a meal beforehand. Do you take fuel in while you're training?

I usually eat at 1:00 PM.

TMR wrote:

Honestly you're not eating for taste and its kind of like race day morning when all food is unappetizing - find something light and easy and just choke it down.

That's a good way to think of it -- although it does sound a big nauseating still, because some perfectly ordinary foods have made me physically sick. I'll have to do more experimentation (although it's safe to rule out the things that have made me, uh, "uncomfortable" [read: puke]).

TMR wrote:

How long are your sessions generally? If you're awake 2 hours before you train then I would also say you need more of a meal beforehand. Do you take fuel in while you're training?

Stuff I do in the morning is generally 1 to 2 hours. But where I've run into trouble is skipping even minimal fueling before, say, a 5:30 am 90 minute swim session, and then winding up with either extremely low energy a day or two later or -- it's only happened a few times, but that was enough -- hormone disruptions. If I know I'm not going to be able to make myself eat anything beforehand I'll try to drink some carbs during the session to get in a few extra calories, which is better than nothing but still not enough. Weirdly, I can take in calories just fine on long bikes/runs with no problem -- but there's something about getting in that early morning meal that jacks up my whole system.


Anyway, thanks for your $0.02!

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[what Yoda said about trying]

Your dinner could be enough fuel. Chew gum to break that mental need to eat?

I remember in 2012 when I did IM Texas and had to try to force down 2 bagels at 4:30 AM and it was awful. I have since switched to Pop Tarts in the AM before races and long training days. They're easy to find anywhere and they taste decent even when forcing them down. And they have tons of flavors so you can switch things up. I also started drinking Ensure before races for extra, easy, tasty calories.

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Twitter - Instagram

I love a Pop Tart! Unfortunately, Pop Tarts do not love me. I don't know if it's the sugar on an empty stomach, but that's one of the foods that's made me crazy nauseous before a workout. After a session or a race, however, they're [usually] fine.

I haven't tried Ensure -- I'll give it a go and see if that helps. Thanks!

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[what Yoda said about trying]

Being hungry in the morning is natural. Are you sure you're not eating too much in the evening or too late at night (nothing 2 to 3 hours before bed)?

Not being hungry after a 10 to 11 hour fast isnt normal. You can at least eat a couple of pieces of toast with nut butter and a banana on top. That is pretty light. My go to is oatmeal with protein powder mixed in and fruit and walnuts on top. It takes getting used to but it's a good fuel source for morning workouts and beyond.

I agree that it doesn't feel normal, but I also don't think I'm doing anything particularly abnormal that would kill my morning hunger buzz: I eat dinner between 6:30 and 7 pm (I don't overeat because it interferes with my sleep) and almost never snack afterwards. I guess I need to just start forcing myself to eat a small meal first thing so I can get on with it already. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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[what Yoda said about trying]

You're right. Adaptation of the body to consume in the morning akin to breaking the seal. Go light to start like toast and nut butter maybe a sliced banana on top with chia seeds or flax seeds and coffee.

You'll need something to fuel the training. It's always better to pre-fuel imo.

I wake up at 415 and am on the bike by 445. I just bring food in the garage w me and eat on the trainer - saves valuable time!

Even on 4-5hr weekend rides I’ll usually do the same - just start eating early in the ride

I’m sure having a proper meal is better, but I think early AM rides can almost be done fasted (unless high intensity)

My suggestion is listen to your body. If you're not hungry, don't eat.

For $2.99 a month this makes it so easy

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...aturday%22_P7883853/

Eating before training is important. You have to prepare for the effort. Would you start a race empty? I hope not.

I'm always hungry when I wake. First up is a cup of coffee, black. Followed by oatmeal, cinnamon, banana and a teaspoon of honey all mixed together. Then I'm good to go for the AM workout. I guess IU should add after my second cup of coffee.

Agreed. And, as I mentioned, I've experienced some of the negative short-ish term outcomes of not eating or always doing a workout in a fasted state -- that's an experiment I don't intend to repeat. Hence my question.

This morning I'm experimenting with applesauce (no sugar added) with slivered almonds, freeze dried strawberries, and a dollop of honey. So far it's staying down, so...success, I guess?

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[what Yoda said about trying]

That's a good start. I'd work up to toast with nut butter and a banana with maybe some honey. Then you could go oatmeal with fruit eventually if you're able.

My wife struggles with the same issue. Lately it's been toast and peanut butter with coffee.

I guess everyone is different to some degree but I prefer to train on an empty stomach. I always end up with a large caloric deficit at the end of the day so I just eat whatever I want. I've stayed 175-180 with 6-7% fat at 6'2" since age 21, i.e. I've never had any issues with being overweight. From reading your posts over the past several months, you seem to focus a lot on what you eat. Do you have a hard time staying lean???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

First, we're talking training not racing.

Second, if you don't eat in the morning you're not "empty" unless you've been seriously calorie deficit the day before.

In which case... if you have a properly functioning body, when you'll likely wake up and feel hungry.

It's entirely possible and reasonable to get up, have a drink of water, go to the bathroom, decide you're not hungry, sit on the bike trainer for 90 minutes and in the middle or end of that ride have a bar or whatever.

Then go for a short run, come back, and have breakfast.

Is that how gold medal Olympian Norwegians do it? Probably not from the sound of it. The vast majority of us are happy training, performing in enough to win local races and hold our own at larger national ones and have no need to cram metabolic rocket fuel into our engines all the time just because we want to burn the engines like wild in every workout.

Listen to your body isn't bad advice. Obviously, in some cases the person could have some pathology that changes that dynamic. But what makes anyone so confident if you wake up and have no desire for food your body isn't telling you something is going on and you should listen to it?

The reason it's beneficial to eat is to elevate blood glucose levels to prevent a bonk. If you're ready to go super easy then sure go for it. If not you better be eating within 30 minutes of starting activity.

I'm 5'8" 145lbs. No problem staying lean.

OK then, sorry for my incorrect inference.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

No worries. In terms of diet I've tried many approaches, but really haven't struggled with weight.

It really comes down to the specific workout one will be undertaking on the day. If one can't do a 90 minute solid workout fasted with just water then they weren't eating appropriately the day before. Now if we're talking about a multi hour ride, long swim then bike or solid brick then that's a completely different story. The majority of American triathletes are overly fat because they're hyper vigilant regarding constant fueling.

YMMV,

Hugh

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

I would not say I've tried "many" but have tied a few diff approaches. I've found that I can't eat too much fiber or else I crap like 6-7 times/day. I've found that eating caloric dense foods works for me, i.e., cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, rice with cheese, pizza, various vegetables with cheese, etc. Cheese is a staple of diet, obv. And despite eating a fair amount of fat in these foods, my cholesterol numbers are excellent, prob b/c I'm burning all the cals off each day.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."